SPARKLE PLENTY WAS INTRODUCED AS A DOLL TO THE WORLD WHEN SHE WAS A STAR CHARACTER IN THE DICK TRACY COMIC STRIP IN LOTS OF YEARS GONE BY! I WAS FORTUNATE TO FIND THE DOLL LAST WEEK IN AN ANTIQUE MALL HERE IN WICHITA, KS. IDEAL DOLL COMPANY MADE HER IN ABOUT 1958-60. HER HEAD WAS HARD PLASTIC AND HER BODY WAS MADE OF 'MAGIC SKIN'. THIS WAS THE DOLL WORLD'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT VINYL. IT WAS VERY SOFT, THE COLOR OF FLESH AND WAS STUFFED SO THAT IT FELT JUST LIKE A REAL BABY'S SKIN.
ALAS, OVER THE YEARS THE 'MAGIC SKIN' BEGAN TO FAIL. IT TURNED DARK AND IN TIME WAS COMPLETELY BLACK. THIS IS THE CONDITION THE DOLL I FOUND WAS IN. HER HEAD WAS PERFECT AS IT WAS HARD PLASTIC BUT HER BODY WAS BLACK ALL OVER. SHE HAD THE PERFECT 'YELLOW STRING HAIR' THAT SHE WAS MADE WITH AND IT STILL HUNG DOWN TO HER KNEES IN THE BACK!
I WAS ESTATIC! SHE IS NOT AN EASY FIND! I'M SURE MANY WERE TOSSED OUT AS THEIR BODIES BEGAN TO BLACKEN. I HAVE HAD ONE OF HER IN THE PAST, YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE DOLL SHOP IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM. A CUSTOMER ACCUSED ME OF PUTTING A WHITE HEAD ON A BLACK BODY AND WAS VERY ADAMENT ABOUT IT. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN BUT SHE STORMED OUT OF THE SHOP AND ALL WE OTHERS IN THE SHOP COULD DO WAS HAVE A BIG LAUGH ABOUT IT!
BACK TO MY PRESENT SPARKLE PLENTY - OF COURSE SHE WAS NAKED. SHE WAS TERRIBLY DIRTY, HER FACE MARKED WITH DIRT AND GRIME. HER HAIR WAS A DIRTY TANGLED MESS. I CLEANED HER ALL UP (WITH MY CAROL'S MIRACLE DOLL CLEANER, PLEASE EXCUSE THE ADV.) AND WASHED AND DETANGLED ALL HER LONG HAIR. THEN I DECIDED TO DRESS HER. I MADE A LOVELY WHITE BATISTE DRESS AND PANTIES WITH VINTAGE NARROW WHITE LACE TO TRIM IT - ALL BY HAND, NO MACHINE SEWING. I MADE LONG WHITE STOCKINGS FOR HER TO COVER THOSE POOR PITIFUL BLACK LEGS ALSO. HERE ARE THE PICTURES OF HER TAKEN BEFORE I LISTED HER ON EBAY. THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY FROM A COMIC STRIP OR THE DOLL WORLD, AND THINK BACK IN TIME. I HAVE ENJOYED HER FOR A TIME, AND NOW SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY DECIDED ON HER TOO ON EBAY. BLESS HER HEART. SHE MUST HAVE HAD A HARD LIFE. IT WAS VERY EVIDENT WHEN I FOUND HER!
SORRY, I WANT TO LEARN HOW TO 'PUT' THESE PHOTOS WHERE I WANT THEM!
ALAS, OVER THE YEARS THE 'MAGIC SKIN' BEGAN TO FAIL. IT TURNED DARK AND IN TIME WAS COMPLETELY BLACK. THIS IS THE CONDITION THE DOLL I FOUND WAS IN. HER HEAD WAS PERFECT AS IT WAS HARD PLASTIC BUT HER BODY WAS BLACK ALL OVER. SHE HAD THE PERFECT 'YELLOW STRING HAIR' THAT SHE WAS MADE WITH AND IT STILL HUNG DOWN TO HER KNEES IN THE BACK!
I WAS ESTATIC! SHE IS NOT AN EASY FIND! I'M SURE MANY WERE TOSSED OUT AS THEIR BODIES BEGAN TO BLACKEN. I HAVE HAD ONE OF HER IN THE PAST, YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE DOLL SHOP IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM. A CUSTOMER ACCUSED ME OF PUTTING A WHITE HEAD ON A BLACK BODY AND WAS VERY ADAMENT ABOUT IT. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN BUT SHE STORMED OUT OF THE SHOP AND ALL WE OTHERS IN THE SHOP COULD DO WAS HAVE A BIG LAUGH ABOUT IT!
BACK TO MY PRESENT SPARKLE PLENTY - OF COURSE SHE WAS NAKED. SHE WAS TERRIBLY DIRTY, HER FACE MARKED WITH DIRT AND GRIME. HER HAIR WAS A DIRTY TANGLED MESS. I CLEANED HER ALL UP (WITH MY CAROL'S MIRACLE DOLL CLEANER, PLEASE EXCUSE THE ADV.) AND WASHED AND DETANGLED ALL HER LONG HAIR. THEN I DECIDED TO DRESS HER. I MADE A LOVELY WHITE BATISTE DRESS AND PANTIES WITH VINTAGE NARROW WHITE LACE TO TRIM IT - ALL BY HAND, NO MACHINE SEWING. I MADE LONG WHITE STOCKINGS FOR HER TO COVER THOSE POOR PITIFUL BLACK LEGS ALSO. HERE ARE THE PICTURES OF HER TAKEN BEFORE I LISTED HER ON EBAY. THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY FROM A COMIC STRIP OR THE DOLL WORLD, AND THINK BACK IN TIME. I HAVE ENJOYED HER FOR A TIME, AND NOW SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY DECIDED ON HER TOO ON EBAY. BLESS HER HEART. SHE MUST HAVE HAD A HARD LIFE. IT WAS VERY EVIDENT WHEN I FOUND HER!
SORRY, I WANT TO LEARN HOW TO 'PUT' THESE PHOTOS WHERE I WANT THEM! CAROL
4 comments:
I just found one in my moms attic! How much did you list her on eBay for?!
Lady gave me one just like that
Do you still have it? I’m looking for one to buy
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